Climbing St. John's Fortress in Kotor, Montenegro

As the morning mist was rising off the water, I could see the burnt-orange roofs popping up in the hillsides as our cruise ship made its way around another bend.

We were slowly making our way toward the Bay of Kotor, arriving at the UNESCO World Heritage site. My first time in the country of Montenegro.

I arrived knowing almost nothing about this place. On the surface, I recalled headlines about the period of turmoil in the Balkans and that this nation had fairly recently been part of the joint country Serbia-Montenegro.

Montenegro split and became its own nation in 2006, separating from Serbia in a referendum.

My visit allowed me to learn much more about the nation. I also discovered the best thing to do in Kotor, the port where our ship spent the day. First, a brief overview, so you'll be ready when you go there.

Montenegro natives are called Montenegrins.

The currency is the euro, but Montenegro is not part of the European Union.

People in Montenegro speak Serbian - or a Montenegrin dialect of Serbian that many claim as a different language. Most everyone in the town of Kotor also speaks English.

Kotor is at the end of the world's southernmost fjord.

It was through this scenic fjord that we arrived and were immediately mesmerized.

As the sun was rising, we sailed in through the waterway, which is framed on each side by stark slate-gray limestone hillside. Not much vegetation grows in the region because of the climate.

The hike takes about 45 minutes to get to the top and about 30 minutes to come back down. After we emerged from the hillside, sweaty and thirsty, we explored the charming old town, wandering its stone streets and slim alleyways, passing all the boutiques and shops (more than a few highlighting the Cats of Kotor; it's a thing!) in search of a Montenegrin lager to quench our thirsts.

Settling into a seat at the restaurant Scorpio on the plaza, we took gulps from our mugs of Niksicko, a golden brew. Another flavor to savor from a new country that we look forward to returning to and exploring even more. But if you have just one day in Kotor, make sure to challenge yourself to reach the summit over the bay by scaling the ramparts. You won't regret it.

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